winter's here and i figured i would post a quick update on the state of things. i'm doing well and staying warm and all of the animals are doing well also.
unfortunately, however, my job which is my primary source of income has reduced my hours substantially due to a lack of rentals this winter season. as a result my income has more than halved and while this is still more than enough for me to live on, there are very important investments that need to be purchased before may, which is about the time the land can be filled and worked for growing crops
through some connections I've managed to get ahold of a small 25hp tractor for very cheap and i've sourced all of the attachments i'll need to acquire to start producing crops on a larger scale along the north banks of the pond
first is an integral sleeve hitch which is a mechanical assembly which attaches to the back of the tractor and enables the raising and lowering of soil working implements manually so they can be transported and toggled in the fields
second and third are a rough plough and disc cultivator. the former is for breaking the tough sodded surface of the soils from the grasses that established over many years and the latter is for breaking up tougher clods into workable and arable soil that will both help take care of weeds and help the crops establish themselves. i am optimistic that this will only need to be done very infrequently for each plot as the breaking of the tough sod is the most labor intensive component of establishing a field
fourth are a set of new rear tires as the current ones are made for turf preservation and will get stuck in tilled soil
all four of these assets total to roughly one thousand dollars and i fully expect a return on investment within the first few years of producing. currently i'm in the process of researching local market trends to determine which crops are the most sought in farmers markets and by local restaurants. additionally there's the very careful research regarding practice to prevent soil erosion and crop rotation so the land stays fertile after yielding. this is incredibly important as even though soil tests i conducted in the fall indicate that there's a health balance of nutrients in the soil, this area is known for being somewhat marginal in terms of macronutrient balance
obviously as a result of losing pay at work and needing to make these investments prior to spring i've needed to heavily ration food and gasoline. because my electricity comes from a gas generator this is also rationed, and i try to use it as absolutely little as possible so as to save money. this is why i haven't and likely will not be around much nor will i be making video updates. i'll try to make a point of posting text updates occasionally but i know they're not very exciting
things are still going very well for me and i'm excited for the coming spring, hopefully some more money will come along soon. i've already contacted some people in town about shoveling roofs and paths and there seems to be some interest so that may be a good source of secondary income at the moment
unfortunately, however, my job which is my primary source of income has reduced my hours substantially due to a lack of rentals this winter season. as a result my income has more than halved and while this is still more than enough for me to live on, there are very important investments that need to be purchased before may, which is about the time the land can be filled and worked for growing crops
through some connections I've managed to get ahold of a small 25hp tractor for very cheap and i've sourced all of the attachments i'll need to acquire to start producing crops on a larger scale along the north banks of the pond
first is an integral sleeve hitch which is a mechanical assembly which attaches to the back of the tractor and enables the raising and lowering of soil working implements manually so they can be transported and toggled in the fields
second and third are a rough plough and disc cultivator. the former is for breaking the tough sodded surface of the soils from the grasses that established over many years and the latter is for breaking up tougher clods into workable and arable soil that will both help take care of weeds and help the crops establish themselves. i am optimistic that this will only need to be done very infrequently for each plot as the breaking of the tough sod is the most labor intensive component of establishing a field
fourth are a set of new rear tires as the current ones are made for turf preservation and will get stuck in tilled soil
all four of these assets total to roughly one thousand dollars and i fully expect a return on investment within the first few years of producing. currently i'm in the process of researching local market trends to determine which crops are the most sought in farmers markets and by local restaurants. additionally there's the very careful research regarding practice to prevent soil erosion and crop rotation so the land stays fertile after yielding. this is incredibly important as even though soil tests i conducted in the fall indicate that there's a health balance of nutrients in the soil, this area is known for being somewhat marginal in terms of macronutrient balance
obviously as a result of losing pay at work and needing to make these investments prior to spring i've needed to heavily ration food and gasoline. because my electricity comes from a gas generator this is also rationed, and i try to use it as absolutely little as possible so as to save money. this is why i haven't and likely will not be around much nor will i be making video updates. i'll try to make a point of posting text updates occasionally but i know they're not very exciting
things are still going very well for me and i'm excited for the coming spring, hopefully some more money will come along soon. i've already contacted some people in town about shoveling roofs and paths and there seems to be some interest so that may be a good source of secondary income at the moment
It doesn't really matter whether the updates are exciting or not, it's nice to know how you're doing and what you're up to regardless.
Good luck!
Good luck!
short rant about record players and reddit brainyot
the audio only format is kind of nice because of the smaller file sizes so i might experiment a bit with it, also makes it easy to record thoughts while i'm out doing things
SUPER SECRET REEMO TIP:
They don't make good boots anymore unless you're willing to pay several hundred dollars for a custom pair from a cobbler. I am poor and irish so instead of doing that I just wait for the type of boot I need to go out of season, and buy the surplus stock on clearance. Last year I bought work boots worth 120 bucks for 30 dollars at the start of winter and I just got a pair of snow boots worth 80 bucks for 7 dollars.
always think ahead !!
They don't make good boots anymore unless you're willing to pay several hundred dollars for a custom pair from a cobbler. I am poor and irish so instead of doing that I just wait for the type of boot I need to go out of season, and buy the surplus stock on clearance. Last year I bought work boots worth 120 bucks for 30 dollars at the start of winter and I just got a pair of snow boots worth 80 bucks for 7 dollars.
always think ahead !!